A Long-Standing Habit Continued

What is character, or integrity? It is who you are when you’re all alone, when there is no one around to impress. It has been said that the measure of real character is how someone would behave if they knew they never would be found out.

We could apply that principle to a lot of things in life. Why do we not do this, or why do we not do that? It’s usually because we don’t want to get caught doing something wrong.

For instance, why do people observe the speed limit? It’s because they don’t want to get pulled over by the police, evidenced by the fact that when the highway patrol shows up, everyone slows down. We obey the law for fear of the repercussions.

That is where integrity comes in. It picks up where the fear of being caught leaves off. Fear is a fine deterrent, and it has its place. But a better deterrent—or a better motive, if you will—is wanting to do what is right.

D. L. Moody defined character as “what we are in the dark.” What do you think about the most when you’re all alone? What shows do you watch? What websites do you visit? What would they tell people about you?

What makes you sad? What makes you mad? And what makes you laugh? An old German proverb says, “A man shows his character by what he laughs at.” Everyone has character of some kind.

When we’re young, we lay a foundation that we will build on for the rest of our lives. If you are doing the right thing now, you will likely do it right later. And if you are not doing the right thing now, chances are you won’t do it right later, either.

In other words, if you cheat in practice, you will cheat in the game. If you cheat on the test, you will cheat later with the résumé. If you cheat on your boyfriend or girlfriend, then you probably will cheat on your husband or wife later. You see, what you are doing now only will be magnified tomorrow.

Character is simply a long habit continued.

The Old Testament Book of Daniel includes the story of four young people who had strong character and integrity. Their names were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Now, when we think of Daniel, our minds usually race to the account of Daniel in the lions’ den. And when we think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we usually think of them being thrown into the fiery furnace. These were dramatic displays of faith on their part.

But early on, when they were very young, they laid the foundation for the decisions they made later in life. When you’re young, you develop habits that will continue throughout your life. You are setting your course. You’re making big decisions, but you’re also developing patterns for the way you live and what you do.

You can accomplish a lot of things in life, but in the end, if you don’t have integrity, your accomplishments will amount to little.

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